Rider v. Dog, Rider wins,,, this time.

First a little background...

I live and train out in the country. Lots of open roads with a variety of animals. Of course, that means dogs, too. Country dogs run for a living and it is a rare time when you can out-sprint the fast ones. So on my regular routes, that means I just have to deal with them. Had one a month ago run full speed and T-boned into my rear wheel. Luckily, I was riding the Iron Pig (36lb mtn bike) and he just bounced off.

I have used all the usual tricks; shouting, kicking, squirting water, clubbing, etc. with limited success, but I have found a method that really stops them. Grab an old water bottle, put in a tablespoon or two of cayenne pepper, fill with water, and shake well. Now, all that has to be done is nail the offending dog in the face as he approaches your heel. Sometimes easier said than done. Once done, however, they'll pretty much leave you alone.

That brings us to today...

I'm a mile from the house at the end of my regular Tuesday ride, and a "new dog" whom I had peppered about 2 weeks ago came racing out to the road. I didn't have the pepper water and only a half-full water bottle. He got within 5-6 feet, and when I raised the bottle to squirt what water I had, he came to a stop as if he'd hit the end of a chain, turned his head, and even squeezed his eyes shut. I never even squirted the water. It was priceless.

I'm still working on the kamikaze dog mentioned earlier.

Oh yeah, be careful as you open the pepper-water bottle with your teeth; a few drops in YOUR mouth is equally unpleasant.